Vehicle operation and position recording system incorporating GPS

• US 20020029109A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Satellite Service Company
• Original Assignee: Satellite Service Company
• Inventors: Tsoi, Leo S.C., Wong, Carlos C.H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,484,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

An in-vehicle positional recording device records the positions of a moving vehicle into a storage medium while the vehicle is operating. The stored positional data are later retrieved for subsequent analysis. In one embodiment, the recording device includes a control unit, an interface to a GPS receiver and storage unit. Data compression techniques can be used to increase the number of records that can be stored in the storage unit.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle recording device mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

an interface to a GPS receiver, said interface receiving positional data from said GPS receiver;

a storage unit; and

a control unit, said control unit causing said positional data to be written into said storage unit.

2. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 1 comprising a removable storage medium.

3. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 2, wherein said removable storage medium comprises a PCMCIA format card.

4. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 1, wherein said storage unit comprises a non-volatile memory integrated circuit.

5. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 1, wherein a data compression technique is used to store said positional data in said storage unit.

6. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 5, said compression technique provides an abbreviated record when a current record differs from a previous record in less than a predetermined number of fields in said previous record.

7. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 6, wherein said abbreviated record records only said fields in the current record that differ from the previous record.

8. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 7, wherein said abbreviated record is identified by a predetermined value in a designated field of said abbreviated record.

9. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 1, further comprising a communicating port for interfacing with an external computer over a modem.

10. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 9, wherein firmware in said control unit allows said external computer to retrieve said position data from said storage unit over said communication port.

11. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 9, wherein said communication port comprises a serial port.

12. An in-vehicle recording device as in claim 9, wherein firmware in said control unit allows said external computer to erase positional data stored in said control unit.